DOCSLIB.ORG

Understanding Local Public Responses to A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Understanding Local Public Responses to A Understanding local public responses to a high- voltage transmission power line proposal in South-West England: Investigating the role of life-place trajectories and project-related factors Submitted by Etienne Benjamin Bailey to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Human Geography, March 2015. This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. ……………………………………………………………………………… 1 Abstract With a projected increase in electricity demand and low-carbon energy generation in the UK, expansion of the existing transmission grid network is required. In going beyond the NIMBY concept, Devine-Wright (2009) posited a place-based approach that highlights the roles of place attachment and place- related symbolic meanings for understanding public responses to energy infrastructure proposals. This PhD research investigated two overarching and interrelated research aims. The first sought to enlarge our understandings of the processes of attachment and detachment to the residence place by investigating the dynamics of varieties of people-place relations across the life course (people’s ‘life-place trajectories’), thus addressing the limitation of studies adopting a ‘structural’ approach to the study of people-place relations. This research, in a second instance, sought to better understand the role of people’s life-place trajectories and a range of project-based factors (i.e. procedural and distributive justice) in shaping people’s responses to a power line proposal. This research focussed on the Hinckley Point C (HPC) transmission line proposal and residents of the town of Nailsea, South-West England. A social representations theory framework was usefully applied to this research by acknowledging that people’s personal place relations and their beliefs about proposed place change, are situated and embedded within wider social representations of place and project. A mixed methods approach was employed comprising three empirical studies. The first consisted of twenty-five narrative interviews, the second a set of five focus group interviews, and the third a questionnaire survey study (n=264) amongst a representative sample of Nailsea residents. Triangulating findings across the three studies produced a novel set of key findings. By elaborating five novel ‘life-place trajectories’, this PhD research moved beyond structural approaches to the study of people-place relations and made a novel contribution to our understandings of the processes and dynamics of attachment and detachment to the residence place across the life course. This 2 research further confirmed the existing typology of people-place relations and revealed a novel variety termed ‘Traditional-active attachment’. Life-place trajectories were instrumental in informing divergent representations of the nearby countryside which were more or less congruent with objectified representations of the HPC project. Future studies investigating place and project meanings should be sensitive to these trajectories. Interestingly, place as a ‘centre of meaning’ rather than a ‘locus of attachment’ (or non-attachment) emerged as particularly salient for understanding responses to the project. Project-based factors were salient in informing participants’ responses toward the project. A perceived imbalance between high local costs and an absence of local benefits was seen to result in distributive injustice and opposition toward the project. However, improved perceived procedural justice following National Grid’s announcement of siting concessions in the spring of 2013, was seen to ameliorate local trust in the developer and project acceptance. 3 Acknowledgements My upmost thanks and gratitude go to my supervisors, Prof Patrick Devine- Wright and Dr Susana Batel, for their continual support, patience and encouragement over the course of my PhD. I would like to thank them both for their guidance and help in developing my research skills, and for pushing me to strive further. Their feedback and advice has been invaluable as I have progressed throughout the PhD process. I would like to express my deepest thanks and gratitude to my family and friends who have helped me throughout this experience. In particular, my thanks go to my parents and brother, Bob, Martine and Tom, for their interest, support and love. My thanks go to those friends who shared this PhD experience with me here in Exeter and helped me through the ups and downs, namely Paulina, Bouke, Ben, Rose, Rosie and Emma. My appreciation and thanks also goes to all those in the Geography Department and office who helped me out in numerous ways. Finally, I would like to acknowledge with gratitude those organisations that made my PhD possible. These include the Centre for Environmental Design of Renewable Energy (CEDREN) which funded the SusGrid project, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). My particular thanks go to the SusGrid team for giving me the opportunity to attend and participate in project meetings, which I consider an important and highly valuable part of my PhD experience. 4 Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 12 1. Moving toward a dynamic approach to the study of varieties of people-place relations ......... 13 2. A place-based approach to understanding public responses to electricity infrastructure development proposals ....................................................................................... 15 3. The role of project-based factors in shaping responses to energy infrastructure development proposals ............................................................................................................. 16 4. Theoretical framework - Social Representations Theory ....................................................... 17 5. Context of study .................................................................................................................... 19 6. Overarching and specific PhD thesis research aims and questions ...................................... 19 7. Thesis structure .................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter Two: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 25 1. The context for expansion of the UK transmission grid system ............................................. 25 2. NIMBYism and local opposition to energy project proposals ................................................. 29 3. A place-based approach to understanding public responses to energy development proposals .................................................................................................................................. 33 4. Place theory and people-place relations ............................................................................... 34 4.1 Humanistic Geographers’ accounts of the people-place bond ....................................... 34 4.2 Human Geography and a ‘Sense of Place’ .................................................................... 37 4.3 Environmental and Social Psychological approaches to the study of people- place relations ..................................................................................................................... 39 4.3.1 Place Attachment ................................................................................................. 40 4.3.2 Place Identity ........................................................................................................ 41 4.3.3 Varieties of People-Place relations ....................................................................... 44 4.4 Key limitations of research into people-place relations within Environmental and Social Psychology ............................................................................................................... 49 5. Place disruption and public acceptance of energy infrastructure proposals ........................... 57 5.1 Disruption of place attachment and threat to place-based identities .............................. 57 5.2 Place disruption and place change - research into public responses to energy infrastructure proposals ...................................................................................................... 61 5.2.1 Strength of place attachment and public acceptance ............................................ 62 5.2.2 Varieties of place attachment and public acceptance ........................................... 64 5.2.3 Place and project-related symbolic meanings and public acceptance ................... 65 5 5.3 Key limitations of research adopting a place-based approach to understanding public responses toward energy infrastructure proposals .................................................... 69 6. Theoretical Framework – Social Representations Theory ..................................................... 71 6.1 An outline of Social Representations Theory ................................................................. 71 6.2 Social Representations Theory and the study of people-place relations
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Shaping Subtransmission South West 2018
    Strategic Investment Options Shaping Subtransmission South West – July 2018 Strategic Investment Options: Shaping Subtransmission Version Control Issue Date 1 26/07/2016 2 18/07/2018 Contact Details Email [email protected] Postal Network Strategy Team Western Power Distribution Feeder Road Bristol BS2 0TB Disclaimer Neither WPD, nor any person acting on its behalf, makes any warranty, express or implied, with respect to the use of any information, method or process disclosed in this document or that such use may not infringe the rights of any third party or assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for damage resulting in any way from the use of, any information, apparatus, method or process disclosed in the document. © Western Power Distribution 2018 Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2018 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the Network Strategy and Innovation Manager, who can be contacted at the addresses given above. 2 South West – July 2018 Contents 1 – Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 4 2 – Objective of this Report ................................................................................................................ 7 3 – Background ..................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Wave Hub Appendix N to the Environmental Statement
    South West of England Regional Development Agency Wave Hub Appendix N to the Environmental Statement June 2006 Report No: 2006R001 South West Wave Hub Hayle, Cornwall Archaeological assessment Historic Environment Service (Projects) Cornwall County Council A Report for Halcrow South West Wave Hub, Hayle, Cornwall Archaeological assessment Kevin Camidge Dip Arch, MIFA Charles Johns BA, MIFA Philip Rees, FGS, C.Geol Bryn Perry Tapper, BA April 2006 Report No: 2006R001 Historic Environment Service, Environment and Heritage, Cornwall County Council Kennall Building, Old County Hall, Station Road, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3AY tel (01872) 323603 fax (01872) 323811 E-mail [email protected] www.cornwall.gov.uk 3 Acknowledgements This study was commissioned by Halcrow and carried out by the projects team of the Historic Environment Service (formerly Cornwall Archaeological Unit), Environment and Heritage, Cornwall County Council in partnership with marine consultants Kevin Camidge and Phillip Rees. Help with the historical research was provided by the Cornish Studies Library, Redruth, Jonathan Holmes and Jeremy Rice of Penlee House Museum, Penzance; Angela Broome of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro and Guy Hannaford of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Taunton. The drawing of the medieval carved slate from Crane Godrevy (Fig 43) is reproduced courtesy of Charles Thomas. Within the Historic Environment Service, the Project Manager was Charles Johns, who also undertook the terrestrial assessment and walkover survey. Bryn Perry Tapper undertook the GIS mapping, computer generated models and illustrations. Marine consultants for the project were Kevin Camidge, who interpreted and reported on the marine geophysical survey results and Phillip Rees who provided valuable advice.
    [Show full text]
  • Unlocking the Potential of the Global Marine Energy Industry 02 South West Marine Energy Park Prospectus 1St Edition January 2012 03
    Unlocking the potential of the global marine energy industry 02 South West Marine Energy Park Prospectus 1st edition January 2012 03 The SOUTH WEST MARINE ENERGY PARK is: a collaborative partnership between local and national government, Local Enterprise Partnerships, technology developers, academia and industry a physical and geographic zone with priority focus for marine energy technology development, energy generation projects and industry growth The geographic scope of the South West Marine Energy Park (MEP) extends from Bristol to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, with a focus around the ports, research facilities and industrial clusters found in Cornwall, Plymouth and Bristol. At the heart of the South West MEP is the access to the significant tidal, wave and offshore wind resources off the South West coast and in the Bristol Channel. The core objective of the South West MEP is to: create a positive business environment that will foster business collaboration, attract investment and accelerate the commercial development of the marine energy sector. “ The South West Marine Energy Park builds on the region’s unique mix of renewable energy resource and home-grown academic, technical and industrial expertise. Government will be working closely with the South West MEP partnership to maximise opportunities and support the Park’s future development. ” Rt Hon Greg Barker MP, Minister of State, DECC The South West Marine Energy Park prospectus Section 1 of the prospectus outlines the structure of the South West MEP and identifies key areas of the programme including measures to provide access to marine energy resources, prioritise investment in infrastructure, reduce project risk, secure international finance, support enterprise and promote industry collaboration.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Report Concerning the Maryland Renewable Portfolio Standard I TABLE of CONTENTS Page Preface
    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was prepared by Exeter Associates, Inc., in coordination with the Power Plant Research Program (PPRP) of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Kevin Porter of Exeter Associates, Inc. was the project manager. Mr. Porter, Matthew Hoyt, and Rebecca Widiss were the primary authors. Important contributions to the report were made by Steven Estomin, Maureen Reno, Cali Clark, Angela Richardson, Peter Hall, Stan Calvert, Jeremy Schein, Stacy Sherwood, William Cotton, Nick DiSanti, and Katherine Fisher. The authors thank the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Power Plant Research Program for their support for this project. In particular, the authors thank Bob Sadzinski and David Tancabel. The authors also thank the members of the Maryland Renewable Portfolio Standard Work Group (see Appendix B) for their contributions. The authors also thank the Maryland Public Service Commission, Maryland Energy Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, PJM Interconnection, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Maryland Public Service Commission provided technical feedback in the preparation and accuracy of this report. The Commission takes no position with respect to any of the regulatory or policy options or recommendations presented. __________________________________________________________________________________ Final Report Concerning the Maryland Renewable Portfolio Standard i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
    [Show full text]
  • The RSPB's 2050 Energy Vision
    Section heading The RSPB’s 2050 energy vision Meeting the UK’s climate targets in harmony with nature Technical report The RSPB’s vision for the UK’s energy future 3 Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 3 Authors .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... 11 List of abbreviations .............................................................................................................................. 12 List of figures and tables ....................................................................................................................... 15 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 17 1.1 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 17 1.2 Aims and scope ................................................................................................................................. 18 1.3 Limitations to the analysis ................................................................................................................ 19 1.4 Structure of the
    [Show full text]
  • SOUTH WESTERN ELECTRICITY BOARD AREA Regional and Local Electricity Systems in Britain
    ABSTRACT Public electricity supplies began in Britain during the 1880s. By 1900 most urban places with over 50,000 population had some form of service, at least in the town centre. Gerald T Bloomfield Professor Emeritus, University of Guelph THE SOUTH WESTERN ELECTRICITY BOARD AREA Regional and Local Electricity Systems in Britain 1 Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2 The South Western Electricity Board Area ................................................................................................... 2 Constituents of the South Western Electricity Board Area .......................................................................... 3 Development of Electricity Supply Areas ...................................................................................................... 5 I Local Initiatives.................................................................................................................................. 7 II State Intervention ........................................................................................................................... 12 III Nationalisation ................................................................................................................................ 24 Electricity Distribution ........................................................................................................................ 24 Electricity Generation and Transmission
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air
    Sustainable Energy – without the hot air David J.C. MacKay Draft 2.9.0 – August 28, 2008 Department of Physics University of Cambridge http://www.withouthotair.com/ ii Back-cover blurb Sustainable energy — without the hot air Category: Science. How can we replace fossil fuels? How can we ensure security of energy supply? How can we solve climate change? We’re often told that “huge amounts of renewable power are available” – wind, wave, tide, and so forth. But our current power consumption is also huge! To understand our sustainable energy crisis, we need to know how the one “huge” compares with the other. We need numbers, not adjectives. In this book, David MacKay, Professor in Physics at Cambridge Univer- sity, shows how to estimate the numbers, and what those numbers depend on. As a case study, the presentation focuses on the United Kingdom, ask- ing first “could Britain live on sustainable energy resources alone?” and second “how can Britain make a realistic post-fossil-fuel energy plan that The author, July 2008. adds up?” Photo by David Stern. These numbers bring home the size of the changes that society must undergo if sustainable living is to be achieved. Don’t be afraid of this book’s emphasis on numbers. It’s all basic stuff, accessible to high school students, policy-makers and the thinking pub- lic. To have a meaningful discussion about sustainable energy, we need numbers. This is Draft 2.9.0 (August 28, 2008). You are looking at the low- resolution edition (i.e., some images are low-resolution to save bandwidth).
    [Show full text]
  • Research Report 3 - Severn Barrage
    Tidal Power in the UK Research Report 3 - Severn barrage proposals An evidence-based report by Black & Veatch for the Sustainable Development Commission October 2007 Tidal Power in the UK Research Report 3 – Review of Severn Barrage Proposals Final Report July 2007 In association with ABPmer, IPA Consulting Ltd., Econnect Consulting Ltd., Clive Baker, and Graham Sinden (Environmental Change Institute) Sustainable Development Commission Review of Severn Barrage Proposals REVIEW OF SEVERN BARRAGE PROPOSALS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This evidence-based report has been prepared for the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) as research report 3 to support and inform the SDC’s Tidal Power in the UK project. Background Following an introduction to the importance of the Severn estuary, an overview is provided of the extensive studies carried out on the Severn estuary mainly over the last 25 years covering both single basin and two-basin barrage schemes. The studies have shown consistently that tidal power schemes requiring long lengths of embankment (two-basin schemes) result in significantly higher unit costs of energy than equivalent schemes where length of embankment is kept to a minimum. The study considers two schemes for more detailed analysis as follows: • The Cardiff-Weston barrage, as developed and promoted by the Severn Tidal Power Group (STPG) and located between Cardiff, Wales and Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, South West England • The Shoots barrage (formerly the English Stones barrage) as presently proposed by Parsons Brinkerhoff (PB) and located just downstream of the second Severn crossing Studies using various models have shown ebb generation is the preferred mode of operation at the Shoots barrage sites and ebb generation with flood pumping optimises energy output at Cardiff- Weston providing about 3% more energy output than simple ebb generation.
    [Show full text]
  • A Climate Change Report Card for Infrastructure Working Technical
    Edward Byers et al Nuclear, Coal, Oil and Gas Infrastructure Report Card A Climate Change Report Card for Infrastructure Working Technical Paper Nuclear, Coal, Oil and Gas Energy Edward A. Byers & Jaime M. Amezaga School of Civil Engineering & Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. 1 Edward Byers et al Nuclear, Coal, Oil and Gas Infrastructure Report Card 1 Highlights and key messages 2 INTRODUCTION 3 2.1 OVERVIEW OF PREVIOUS WORK 4 2.2 SUMMARY OF INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES, ASSETS AND KEY PROCESSES 4 2.3 OBSERVATIONS OF KEY VULNERABILITIES AND FREQUENCY OF PROBLEMS 7 3 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE 8 3.1 UK CLIMATE CHANGE RISK ASSESSMENT FOR ENERGY 9 3.2 IMPACTS FROM THE NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENTS. 10 3.3 STRUCTURAL, SPATIAL, TEMPORAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT CONSIDERATIONS 11 4 KEY IMPACTS AND HAZARDS FOR THE SUBSECTORS 13 4.1 NUCLEAR 13 4.2 COAL 14 4.3 OIL AND GAS 16 4.4 IN FOCUS: SENSITIVITY TO DROUGHTS, WATER AVAILABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE 17 5 ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS 17 5.1 COSTS AND/OR RELATIVE MAGNITUDES OF THESE IMPACTS 17 5.2 ADAPTATION OPPORTUNITIES TO MANAGE THESE RISKS 18 6 BROADER DRIVERS AND INTERACTIONS 18 6.1 TECHNOLOGICAL AND DECARBONISATION 18 6.2 DECENTRALISATION AND CENTRALISATION 18 6.3 PREPARATION FOR AND AWARENESS OF INTERDEPENDENCIES 19 7 CONFIDENCE IN THE SCIENCE 19 8 RESEARCH GAPS AND PRIORITIES 20 8.1 TESTING OF IMPACTS UNDER A CONSISTENT SET OF FUTURE UK ENERGY SCENARIOS 20 8.2 FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THE LINKS BETWEEN ENERGY, WATER AND LAND 21 8.3 CLIMATE IMPACTS ON SYSTEMS, NOT SILOS 21 8.4 CLIMATE IMPACTS TO NEW INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS 21 8.5 INTERNATIONAL DEPENDENCIES 21 9 REFERENCES 22 1 Highlights and key messages This report reviews the current knowledge base surrounding climate impacts on the infrastructure and operations of the nuclear, coal, oil and gas subsectors.
    [Show full text]
  • Initial BM Igov-Report
    Analysis of UK electricity system actors Dr Jeffrey Hardy Senior Research Fellow Grantham Institute, Imperial College London January 2019 This report is the independent expert opinion of the author. Contents List of figures Figure 1: Total registered GB domestic electricity suppliers (as of 29th June 2018) 07 Figure 2: Active GB domestic electricity suppliers (as of 29th June 2018) 07 Figure 3: Business size of GB domestic electricity suppliers 08 List of figures 02 Figure 4: Operational years of GB domestic electricity suppliers 08 L ist of tablesofList 02 Figure 5: Share of domestic electricity suppliers that are SIAB 09 Figure 6: Market share of SIAB with licenced domestic electricity suppliers 10 Foreword 03 Figure 7: Market share of companies that set up SIAB 10 1 Introduction04 Figure 8: Market share for companies that set up SIAB for active suppliers 11 2 2 Methods 04 Figure 9: Number of active domestic electricity suppliers offering different value propositions 13 Figure 10: Value propositions offered by each active domestic electricity supplier 14 2.1 Key sources of information 04 Figure 11: Value propositions of non-traditional suppliers 15 2.2 Approach 04 Figure 12: Emerging domestic electricity supplier value propositions compared to broad NTBM themes 17 2.2.1 Data cleaning 04 Figure 13: Active, non-active and dissolved non-domestic electricity suppliers 22 Figure 14: Size of non-domestic suppliers 23 2.2.2 Segmentation approach 05 Figure 15: Year of market entry of non-domestic suppliers 23 2.2.3 Wider Supply chain interactions
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from the Severn Barrage
    Wildlife Trust Living Landscape Herritage SACs, SPAs & Reserve Scheme Coast Ramsar sites LOCATIONS CARDIFF-WESTON SHOOTS BEACHLEY WELSH GROUNDS BRIDGWATER BAY Bristol Weston-super-Mare Minehead Exmoor National Park Foreword The University of Exeter is known for world leading research into ‘Climate Change and Sustainable Futures’ and has recently established the Environment and Sustainability Institute in Cornwall to further research in environmental sustainability. In addition, the University is committed to developing sustainability literate graduates. In 2010, the Big Dilemmas Project was launched with the view to develop a better understanding of the sustainability dilemmas that society is trying to grapple with. Twenty of the brightest students from across the University were selected to form a think-tank. Working with stakeholders and lead academics., they focused on the theme ‘ The Future of Renewable Energy in the UK’ and drew lessons from the developments of the Severn Estuary tidal energy schemes. Under the previous Government five different constructions for energy generation were evaluated. Although the scheme has been shelved for now, it might be resurrected in the future in one shape or another. This makes it an interesting case study for policy makers, investors and activists alike. The think-tank researched challenges around energy security, protection of biodiversity, public engagement and economics. In this pamphlet the students are presenting their conclusions* and are offering some insightful propositions on how to approach complex sustainability dilemmas. I echo Martin Wright’s (Forum for the Future) comment at the final Big Dilemmas symposium: “If we want to move towards a sustainable society, we need to win hearts and minds.
    [Show full text]
  • Wave Energy Innovation Position Paper
    Wave Energy Innovation Position Paper Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub Wave Energy Innovation Position Paper Contents Acknowledgements ...........................................................................................................................................3 Authors ..............................................................................................................................................................3 List of abbreviations ..........................................................................................................................................4 List of tables and figures ...................................................................................................................................4 Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................................6 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................10 1. Delivering net zero ......................................................................................................................................11 OPPORTUNITY .............................................................................................................................................11 POSITION .....................................................................................................................................................11
    [Show full text]